The Portrait of A Lady

by
Kushwant Singh
Module2/2
Prepared by
Selson Samuel
AECS #3 Tarapur
 The Author
Kushwant Singh
 Khushwant Singh explores the
interpersonal realities of
contemporary Indian life.

His priority is the person and the

truth.
His main concern is the man and
the reality
The excerpt is a presentation of his keen
observation about his grandmother
This is a description of his old aged
grandmother's
movements,
her religious beliefs,
her kind heartedness to the stray dogs
her association with sparrows.
 1.Khushwant Singh is one of the most
celebrated authors of the subcontinent.
2.His sensitive, courageous and frank writing has
touched so many hearts.
3.He himself was an amazing personality and
his contribution to literature was immense.
4.He entertained his readers with his satirical
mode of writing
5.People will remember this legendary and
most loved writer forever
1.He cherished the fond memories of
his association with his grandmother.
2.He has beautifully described the
details about many episodes from his
past life, related to his grandmother.
3.This reflects his ability to describe
the common things with sensitive
delicacy.
 1.Khushwant Singh was so close and attached
to his grandmother since his childhood.
2.In his early childhood, he went to the village
school escorted by his grandmother.
3.But when they moved to the city, they were
not as much close as they were in the village.
4.But the narrator always revered and respected
his grandmother.
5.He displayed a gentle sensitivity towards his
grandmother whom he thought was old and
outdated.
.
 In his early childhood,
Grandmother nurtured and
nourished him in the absence of
his parents
His earliest remembrances are
those of his grandmother reciting
passages from the Granth Sahib
and the Sukhmani in a sing song
style
 1.Khushwanint Singh was quite
sensitive and observant.
2.In this excerpt, he begins with his
grandfather’s depiction
3.Candid and frank in his portrayal
he reveals the true picture
4.His perspective is completely
honest and open.
 1.He has explored the
interpersonal realities of
contemporary Indian life.
2.He has not tried to harm the
sentiments of anyone.
3.He has avoided didacticism or
moralization in his writing
4.He has exhibited an artist's
detachment with a humanistic basis
5.He was a great author, grandson,
and an adorable human being
 CHARACTER SKETCH OF
GRANDMOTHER
1. Grandmother was an extremely
religious woman with a strong
character.
2.She spent a good chunk of her time
predominantly in chanting prayers.
3. She was a saintly woman , quite
gracious and kind , warm, loving,
attentive, available and caring.
 1. She demonstrated a tremendous
amount of love and selflessness.
2. She devoted herself in looking after
the narrator while he was young.
3. She became a silent spectator as he
pursued his own interests.
4.She remained a distant well-wisher
even when he grew up and became
self-reliant
1.Physically she was an old wrinkly
woman with a puckered face
2. She was short, plump and
slightly bent, who couldn't have
grown older.
3. One hand supporting her back
another counting the rosary
 1.She always wore a white sari
2.Her silver locks covering her face,
3.She exuded "peace and
contentment."
4. The narrator described her as a
"winter landscape in the mountains"
5.Grandmother was beautiful - an
inner beauty rather than a physical
one.
6.She had a calm, composed,
serene, gentle and a reassuring face.
 1.She was very kind-hearted to animals and
birds
2. She fed stale chapatis to dogs and bread
crumbs to the sparrows.
3. She found solace in the company of animals
and birds when isolated.
4. She had a unique relationship with dogs and
sparrows which she befriended.
5. She spent most of her time reading and
reciting the holy scriptures at home or in
the temple.
 1.Circumstances made all the
difference.
2.When the two moved to the city
there occurred a crack in their bond.
3.But her concern and affection for
her grandson never got affected.
4.The subjects he learnt were beyond
her expertise and experience.
5.She decided to spend her time
in spinning yarn and reciting her
prayers.
 1.She was quite old fashioned accustomed to
old traditions.
2. She wasn't really interested in science and
modern education.
3. She did not like his leaning towards learning
English and western Science and Scientific
Principles in school.
4. She disapproved of him taking music lessons
as she believed music was the monopoly of
harlots and beggars.
5.Her old antiquated thinking style, not
accepting change mindset and generation gap
all made her revolt the idea of learning music.
 1. She clearly loved her grandson
dearly.
2. She never showed her emotions
3.Even when the author went abroad
she pretended as if she didn't care,
4. Deep inside, she had a lot of
affection and blessings for her dear
grandson.
5.All her actions demonstrated her
fidelity and great love.
 1.When he joined the University , the
easy, intimate camaraderie of their earlier
years, fell apart.
2.Their separate rooms widened the
proximity and approachability.
3.She was always remembered, revered
and regarded with gratitude.
4.She never stopped loving him despite
getting alienated but loved him to the
core.
1.She gave him a send off with a moist
kiss on his forehead.
2.She gave him a grand welcome with
dhol thumping and bhajan singing.
3.Despite her disagreements and
conflicts, grandmother is purely a
saintly woman with a heart of gold.
THANK YOU